What is authority and how does it influence your brand’s success? In the Content First Marketing community, we consider authority a core pillar of our brand philosophy.

Authority:

Establishes trust;

Creates lifelong relationships;

Makes your brand the expert;

Brings referrals and repeat customers.

So, how do you establish authority? By sharing accurate, informative content, which is meaningful and valuable to your customers.

When your customer trusts you, they will continue to buy from you— and hopefully, bring their friends! Do you know where your authority lies or are you still struggling to find the sweet spot?

Consider these four simple, yet thought-provoking questions, to discover where your authority lies and how to leverage it.

1. Where have you already established authority?

Consider your existing content: email, social media, video, eBooks, webinars and so on. If the content is there, you’ve already gained authority; you’ve made a name for yourself.

Ask yourself: What is working; what are my customers reacting and responding to?

Consumers do not purchase products and services without consideration— they buy based on trust and relationship with your business.

Consumers also make decisions based on emotion and feeling — how is your offer tapping into the emotions behind their most essential needs or pain points?

2. How is your offer different?

Determining what you offer customers will lead to finding your niche. Your niche is the differentiating factor of your small business.

Your offer must be different in some meaningful or substantial way, to stand out in the eyes of your customer.

What makes your brand different? Capitalize on what makes your product or service special and unique.

If you don’t know what that thing is or can’t put it into words, consider asking existing clients why they choose your brand over competitors.

Be more than just a solution; create an experience for your customer, which will keep them coming back for more (with friends!)

3. What are your pain points?

What is better: to do a dozen things halfway or just a few things to perfection? A Jack of all trades is ultimately a Master of None.

Notice areas of improvement or weakness within your own brand. If your competitor has more success at a particular service, look at how they are operating differently, and identify where you can offer more value.

At the same time, notice areas where you cannot compete and compensate for them in areas where you are strong.

Get really good in your areas of strength and avoid over-diversifying just to “keep up.”

Do you know where your authority lies or are you still struggling to find the sweet spot? With four simple, yet thought-provoking questions, you can discover where your authority lies and how to leverage it.